Just The Gist of… Nellie Bly

Just The Gist · Jan 28, 2026 · 55m

In 1887, Nellie Bly was just 21-years-old when she completely changed the way investigative journalism was done by basically inventing going ‘undercover’. She pretended to be insane, got committed to an insane asylum and then wrote about the horrific treatment she endured and as a patient. Bly’s reporting on her time at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island was turned into a bestselling book called ‘Ten Days In A Madhouse’, launching her career and opening the door for other women to do serious journalism.

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